Rogue
by Inm0rtu0rumm
Summary: Deceiving, inaccurate, but she doesn't know. And a certain bunch of vampires is trying their very hardest to help her. But maybe it's best she stays in the dark. (Awful at summaries!) DamonxOC
1. The Beginning

**A/N ok friends, this is my first TVD fanfic. I have about 6 chapters completed as of right now, and I will continue to upload as I receive reviews. I won't upload the second chapter of there are no reviews, because I want to know if I should continue. i hope you enjoy, though. Thank for reading! 3**

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><p>Another hopeless school year starting in another hopeless town. International Falls, Minnesota. Population: 6,457. Quite the tourist attraction. I couldn't tell you why, I've lived here for 17 years and I've yet to find a reason to deliberately come here. My mother thought it was safe, desolate. I couldn't say I disagreed, the town sat hundreds of miles away from any big cities, and the 'down town' here was pathetic to say the least. Nobody moved here and almost nobody left here, and I was bound and determined to overcome those statistics. I would leave as soon as I could, but every teenager says that, don't they?<p>

This school year did hold a small bit of promise, however. If you call it that. News of strange animal attacks had been all over the news, corpses ripped to pieces. Mostly tourists, nobody we knew. It brought a certain type of attention to this anticlimactic place. Negative attention, of course. The tourists stopped coming, although they usually did around this time. And many citizens were afraid to leave their homes. The sanctity and carelessness that was always heavy in the air had thinned out to be replaced with apprehensiveness and paranoia. I was worried as well. But not for the same reasons. I knew what the 'animal attacks' were. And I knew what 'animal' they came from. My mother knew too. She was more worried than I was, for a whole different reason than the other two. She was so worried, in fact, that on one painfully ordinary morning, she made a shockingly not so ordinary suggestion that nearly made me implode with excitement. Leave International Falls.

She'd approached me while I was eating breakfast, a routine bowl of cereal, with a look of twisted concern.

"Sybil, good morning." that in itself was strange, as I was very much used to being referred to as 'Sibby' by friends and family, and only in very serious situations was my (awful) full name used. I had worked hard to keep my composure. For some unknown reason, I felt as though I needed to remain calm and oblivious. "You've, uh, seen the news lately, right?" Her voice was drawn out and cautious. "Of course. How about those animal attacks? That's a weak cover up." I scoffed, forcing a playful smile. She answered with the furrowing of her eyebrows, "Yeah, it is... Which is why I think it's time for you to go live with your father for a bit."

"What?" I stopped eating and kept my hazel eyes locked with her navy ones. "It's only temporary, of course. But I've been shielding you from a life you should know for 17 years. You've been stuck in this small town and kept away from civilization for far too long. I think you're ready, and your father agrees. And with these recent attacks, you're at a greater risk of exposure. In the cities, there are more people. It's much easier to go unnoticed. You deserve this." and who was I to argue? I agreed with everything she'd said, though I couldn't recall the last time she'd talked to my father, more recently than I'd thought, I suppose.

My trip was set for one week after that conversation, what would be my first day of school. It was weird to think I wouldn't be starting with the same people this year, I was so used to attending the same schools with the same people every single year. It was oddly comforting to know that I wouldn't be there this time. I never really made friends either, sure, I had some acquaintances, people to sit by at lunch. Occasionally to go see a movie with, but nobody to miss. I didn't quite fit in here, but the only way to do that was to be as painfully ordinary as the town itself. Exchange hollow greetings with your neighbors, sit quietly tucked away in your bedroom while all of your parents got drunk together. I wasn't like that, no matter how hard I tried. My mother always complained about the way I dressed, she said it drew attention to me, attention that I didn't need. This was true, I dressed in black. All black, despite putting forth my best efforts not to. Everything I was drawn to was dark. This didn't fend well with my naturally black hair and striking hazel eyes. I loved my hair through, it was one thing I took great pride in. It was long, to my hips, and thick. It didn't form unruly curls or fall pin straight, it cascaded in gentle waves, like I belonged on a beach in California. I didn't look like my mothers child. She was tall, with long legs and wide hips, she had a body to die for. Nobody ever believed she was my mom, she didn't look a day over 25. Her hair was cut a little past her chest, and curled perfectly. It was a vibrant scarlet color. Her eyes were dark, navy blue, set in ivory skin, flawless ivory skin. I did inherit that trait from her. My skin was like porcelain, I'd never been cursed with acne or blemishes. And I couldn't tan, of course, I didn't want to. There was a reason for that. I was short, only 5'3, another opposing characteristic with my mother. I didn't have much of a figure, I was just petite. I wasn't strikingly skinny, but my thighs didn't touch and my stomach sometimes concaved, most of the time it was just flat. I was kind of bony, which I wasn't so fond of. But I wasn't going to complain, it could be worse. There were many things I would change about myself, but I didn't think about it if I could help it. I looked a lot like my father.

That wasn't the only way I was different from the people here, though. I was different in an unbelievable way. I knew it from when I was a child, I could feel it, something inside me clawing at my inners to come out. A sort of thirst that I couldn't seem to quench, I tried everything. But one thing prevailed, and I was horrified. I couldn't tell you the first time I did it. My childhood memories are kind of hazy. I only got bits and pieces, dreams about running through fields wearing very old dresses. Villages and smiling faces. It was strange, really. It wasn't realistic. But I could tell you that when I did it, it was a sensation of pure ecstasy that I couldn't get from anything else. I hated myself for it. I hated myself for being what I am, something inhuman, I hated myself for being a vampire.

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><p>The morning arrived with harsh sunlight, and unseasonably warm day for International Falls. It was 7 o'clock, 2 hours before my flight. International Falls didn't have much, but it did happen to have an airport so there was no excessive traveling needed. I willed myself to get up, I could hear my mother fumbling around downstairs, she was already awake. I walked over to my dresser, it was empty but I had what I planned on wearing today sitting in a neat pile on top. Black skinnies with many rips in them (very old, from 7th grade, and they still fit me. Maybe even better than they did when I got them.) and a very long and loose fitting IAMX tee shirt. I brushed my hair and just left it, no point in doing anything special with it. I applied very light makeup, a bit of eyeliner and mascara and grabbed my bag on my way downstairs. I travelled light, mostly just my makeup and clothes, a few books and my laptop. My mother was on the phone in the living room when I came downstairs, she didn't see me at first, then she turned around.<p>

"Oh! Sibby, are you ready?" she put on a fake calm façade and hung up the phone.

I nodded and we went out to the car.

Throughout the whole car ride and the difficult goodbye, I kept thinking of what I would find in Mystic Falls, Virginia. What was so promising about that place? And most prominently, were there others like me? I almost laughed out loud, of course not. I was a freak, the freak, people like me only existed in stupid movies and books. And that's how it would always be.

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><p>The flight landed 4 hours later, the airport buzzed with commotion, women in suits shouting into the phone, families laughing and hugging, couples kissing. And me by myself and slightly confused. Draped in all black and carrying just one backpack.<p>

"Sybil?" My name rang from the mouth of a deep voiced man behind me, I turned around.

There he was. The man who created me, the one who looked like me. He was average height, about 5'10. His hair was black, like mine, and it still covered all his head. He had a scruffy beard and the same hazel eyes as my own. His skin was pale. He looked no more than 30 years old.

"That's me."

This meeting wasn't weird to me, it wasn't some emotional moment like in the movies, sure I hadn't seen my father in a while, but I used to visit him. He wasn't a stranger. It felt like I had lived with him all this time, like I had just seen him yesterday, I smiled and he hugged me.

"Hey, kiddo. You've grown!" He said through a warm smile as he pulled away.

I looked down at myself then back up at him, "A centimeter, maybe."

He let out a low rumbling laugh, "Isn't that what you're supposed to say to a child after you haven't seen them in a while?"

I rose a thin black eyebrow, "I'm 17."

He sighed, "I know. Come on, we'll go get some lunch and catch up."

***Elena Gilbert's POV***

"You're telling me you haven't heard?" Caroline Forbes asked, the disbelief seeping through her voice, it was kind of silly how she expected me to know everything she knows.

"That is what I'm telling you."

"Daughter of Valentine Knight. Not many have ever seen her before, she hasn't been in Mystic Falls in over a year. She arrives today. My mother wants to go over to their house to welcome her, you know, to be 'neighborly'." She rambled on.

I could admit that it was intriguing, the last time new people came to Mystic Falls it had completely changed my life. I didn't have any expectations, though, I wasn't excited.

Stefan sat down next to me, placing a gentle kiss on my cheek, "What's this I hear about Valentine Knight?"

"His daughter is coming to town." Caroline said quickly.

"Is she? You know, I knew that man's grandfather. Valentine is a family name. The Knight family has long been established, even longer than the Salvatore's. They were nobles in London but migrated here."

"Thank you for the history lesson, Mr. Salvatore, maybe that's your calling." I giggled.

"I don't know about that, you know, since I'm a..." He looked around dramatically and whispered mockingly, "Vampire."

I hit his arm lightly, and the final bell rang, signaling the end of the day. Caroline stood up and said, "Toodles, off to go play welcoming committee."

"Wait! Stefan and I will come with you." I shouted, surprising myself and Stefan.

Caroline rose her eyebrow, "Alright then, off we go."

*** Sybil's POV***

Mystic Falls was my mother's idea of a city. It's population beating International Falls by a whole 300 people. I would admit, however, that it was much more developed, and the people were less irritating, I didn't feel so out of place here.

My fathers home was larger than my home in Minnesota, not quite a mansion, but big enough to earn the title, 'Knight Manor.' There was an iron gate surrounding it and a long driveway. The house looked like a plantation house, which it very likely was at one point. It was white and had pillars in the front. There was an old, decrepit carriage missing one wheel sitting in the front yard, covered in vines and flowers.

Inside was just as old fashioned as outside, with scarlet, worn carpet and Victorian furniture. Before I got to see the rest, a loud ringing chimed throughout the house. I looked at my father in confusion.

"Somebody's at the gate, I'll be right back." He disappeared into the kitchen and returned moments later, with him, a knock on the front door. I followed him to open it.

Standing in front of me were two people who looked strikingly familiar, and two other people I'd never seen. A tall brunette girl, olive skin and big brown eyes. Next to her, a taller boy. Chiseled features, he was gorgeous. They looked so familiar to me, I couldn't place my finger on it, I might have seen them the first time I visited Mystic Falls.

There was a blonde girl wearing a fake smile, and a women in a sheriffs outfit who looked like the blonde girls mother, she was the first who spoke.

"Hello, Valentine! How are you?"

My father smiled, "Liz, what brings you here?"

"We wanted to come welcome your daughter, of course."

The blonde girl spoke, "I'm Caroline Forbes, this is Elena Gilbert and Stefan Salvatore."

My breath caught in my throat, Salvatore. I knew that name. I regained my composure quickly when Elena extended her hand.

I took it, "Sybil." And shook Stefan's hand brusquely.

"Why don't you guys show her the town?" The sheriff suggested, Caroline agreed reluctantly.

The town was small, basic. There was the mayors mansion, the local 'hangout' (Mystic Grille), and our last stop was the Salvatore house. They'd invited me over to get to know me, which was kind of silly, I hadn't said much the whole time.

As we walked up the driveway, the front door opened.

"You know, brother, the house really c- Why, who do we have here?"

One of the most gorgeous men I've ever seen in my life was wearing only a towel around his waist. His hair was wet and dark, his eyes an icy blue. Not staring at his body was quite the challenge. He wore a brilliant smirk.

"Jesus, Damon! Put some clothes on, where's your decency?" Caroline cried, breaking the trance I'd fallen into.

Damon switched his gaze to Caroline, "Aw, you see, I have none." He laughed quietly and disappeared into the house.

"Well, you've met my brother, Damon. And now that the worst has happened, we can go inside." Stefan announced, leading us into a high ceiling living room. Damon was nowhere to be seen. We all sat down on the couches in a carpeted area, facing a fireplace.

"I'm so sorry about Damon," Elena gushed, "We should have warned you."

I smiled, "It's totally ok."

Elena let out her breath, "Good... Are you thirsty, or hungry?"

I shook my head, "I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" Asked Stefan, I nodded.

"Ok. We'll be right back then." The trio got up and left the room, I stayed still.

Observing the room, the fireplace that looked like it wasn't lit much, and environment was warm, welcoming. I heard footsteps approaching.

In walked Damon, fully clothed in a black tee shirt and denim jeans. Still gorgeous, "Never got your name." He acted as if the whole half naked thing never happened.

"Sybil." I stated simply.

He rose his eyebrow, "Sybil? How old fashioned, charming. I'm Damon, the 'bad' brother." His tone was sarcastic, which, for some reason, I thought was very common with him.

I didn't try to hide it when my eyes roamed over his body, I got the vibe that he was more than he appeared to be, "Humble."

He stepped a little closer, in turn, I stood up, this time, it was his eyes that roamed over my body, "I try."

Eventually we were less than an inch apart, our eyes locked, both very wary of one another. Suddenly, a light purple surfaced from his skin, the veins forming around his eyes. He was like me. He was going to attack, his eyes changed.

It was instinct that pushed me to react, instinct that pushed me to move at an inhuman speed to avoid his lunge.

He turned back to me, his face back to normal, I stared at him.

"I knew it." He said softly.

My eyes widened, "Don't tell anyone!"

He grinned, using his finger to push up my chin, "Don't worry, Sybil, your secret's safe with me."

"What secret?" Elena asked, she was standing in the doorway from the kitchen.

"That she thinks I'm irresistible and want to get in my pants... Shh! Don't tell Stefan." Damon chuckled, walking back from where he came.

"Ugh! I'm so sorry again! He's ridiculous." Elena cried, Stefan and Caroline returned to the living room with her.

I forced a small laugh, "It's fine."

But it wasn't fine, Damon was a vampire. My whole entire life was spent thinking I was a freak, I was the only one. I thought that if I'd ever found another person like me, I'd be elated. I'd be relieved. But I wasn't. Instead, I was confused and upset. I had so many questions and Damon was the only person I could ask. I needed to see him again.


	2. The Deal

**A/N: I keep giving in! I just have so much of this story written that I can't resist! I haven't received any reviews but I have a few favorites and follows, so here's chapter two! The first couple chapters are rushed, I realize, but things will start getting interesting soon. Anyway, please review, favorite, and follow! **

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><p>My father told me I'd be starting at the local highschool within the next week. I hadn't left the house. I told my father it was because I wanted to learn my way around the house and get used to it, he encouraged me to do the same for the town. Sooner than later, the day came where I was to start. They hadn't given me a tour.<p>

The morning arrived with a harsh wakeup call. I knew I'd have to leave eventually. I dreaded it, every second of getting ready.

I didn't want to draw attention, Elena and Caroline and Stefan probably knew my secret, I didn't have any reason to trust Damon.

I reluctantly pulled on some black high waisted shorts and a plain dark red tee shirt, tucking it in. I added a black lace kimono and my black Doc Martens. I brushed my hair, it parted in the middle and put on black eyeliner, finally I grabbed my tattoo choker and put it on, I hoped I didn't look too strange, I hope that more than anything.

I didn't know what to bring, so I just brought my old school backpack. My father let me borrow his car. I found my way to the school just fine.

Turns out, they gave me the tour when I got there. Nice school, nicer than the one in International Falls. My first class was Calculus, Stefan was in that class.

"Hey, Sybil." He smiled, gesturing to the empty seat next to him.

I walked slowly over to him, and sat down. Maybe Damon was trustworthy.

"Where have you been? None of us have seen you at all."

I shrugged, "I've been at home... You know, settling in and getting used to everything."

He nodded, "I guess, this must be pretty different for you."

"I've been here before, it's not much bigger than wh-" that's when it hit me.

I don't know why it always surprised me so much, and why it hit so hard. It was strange, it wasn't out of the ordinary, I should've been used to it. It pounded in my head, it made my muscles weak. How had I not noticed this before? I was so hungry... So thirsty. I needed to feed, and I needed it bad.

"Sybil? Are you okay?" Stefan's voice rang in my head.

I snapped my gaze to him, "Yes. Yeah, I'm fine, sorry... I just remembered something. I'm fine."

His eyes flashed suspicion, "Are you sure?"

I nodded, and my luck prevailed when the teacher began the lesson, saving me from further interrogation.

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><p>After the class, Stefan invited me to sit with him and his friends at lunch, and I wasn't going to turn down the idea of making possible friends, even if I did feel utterly useless in my state.<p>

Lunch came fast, by that time, my head was pounding so hard my vision was blurry. The sound of hearts beating and blood flowing was screaming to me. I wouldn't last much longer.

"Aren't you gonna eat?" Elena asked when I sat down without a tray.

"I don't feel good, just a little stomach bug, not very hungry." I said simply. I wondered if she could hear the distress seeping through my voice.

She left it at that, which I appreciated greatly. I just needed to get through three more hours and I could feed. This thought was troubling, I'd had a steady supply of blood from my mother, who worked at the closest hospital. How had I not thought of that!? I didn't know what I could do.

The thought was fleeting, a sad glimmer of hope. I pushed it down fast. I couldn't go to Damon. He didn't seem like the type to be safe about it anyway... It was stupid.

I would go into the woods, find some sort of animal to suffice until I figured something else out, yes, that was the plan.

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><p>There were plenty of woods around Mystic Falls. I chose what appeared to be the most dense. I took off my cardigan and took off running.<p>

I figured a deer would be the most inconspicuous. I followed the scent and I found one.

It was standing gracefully between trees, completely oblivious to my predatory presence, I almost felt bad when I lunged at it, sinking my teeth into its flesh and draining its life. I almost felt bad, but I didn't, instead, I felt better.

"Hey! Now what the hell do you think you're doing?"

I turned around quickly, blood staining my chin, my eyes wide.

Damon smiled, "Oh, it's you."

I let out shallow breaths and wiped the blood with the back of my hand, my eyes were locked on his.

He stepped towards me, chuckling, "Now, now. If you were so hungry, you could've come to me. Unless.. Oh you're not one of those good guy vampires like Stefan, are you? The 'No Human' diet is so useless, wha-"

"No, dammit, I'm not a 'Good guy' vampire like Stefan. I just didn't really know how exactly to access human blood in a town I just arrived in without painting a big flashing sign on my head that says, 'I'm a vampire!'" I hissed. Stefan was a vampire too?

Damon laughed, "Come with me."

I eyed him, "Why?"

"I can help you." He shrugged, as if it was obvious, as if it were simple.

"What's in it for you?" I was good at picking up on small habits and behaviors in people, and I had a hunch that Damon only did things for people if he expected something in return.

He shrugged again, "Less boredom."

My eyes narrowed this time, "Oh?"

He shook his head, "Oh, just come with me."

I didn't appreciate the way he snuck up on me, I didn't appreciate his nonchalant attitude, but he was the only outlet I had at that moment, he was my only option. Unless I wanted to keep killing Bambi. I reluctantly agreed to go with him, paying very close attention to his movement, ensuring he wouldn't try to attack me like he did the first time we met.

Upon deeper thinking about it, our first meeting was very strange. He was disrespectful, what if I hadn't reacted? What if I was human? He could have killed me. He was reckless. But, in that very instance, he wanted to help me. And I needed all the help I could get if I'd resorted to snacking on deer.

He took me to his house, which was right beyond the woods, I didn't know I'd travelled that far. Stefan was there, right in the living room, he didn't pay any mind to us, I'm not sure he knew I was there. I wondered what he was doing. And I wondered if Elena knew, if Caroline knew.

Damon took me down to the basement, to a room with a freezer.

He turned around, winking, "Shhh."

He pulled the freezer open to reveal countless bags of human blood.. Like the ones my mom used to give me, I gasped.

"Thirsty?" He smirked.

I narrowed my eyes, "Obviously."

"Well all of this is readily available to you. On one condition."

I rose my eyebrow, "Oh? And what would that be? I thought there were none, that you were just 'bored'."

"Eh, sometimes I lie. You'll get used to it. The condition is that you accompany me to the masquerade party at the mayors house."

I stifled a laugh, I wasn't expecting something so simple, so innocent. This had to be a joke. "You're serious?"

"Of course, Stefan is taking Elena, Jeremy is taking Bonnie, and poor old Damon is going to be all alone. Poor old Sybil is, too. So why don't poor old Damon, and poor old Sybil be alone... Together?" He had on a crooked smile, but he was right.

I stared at him, "What masquerade party? Nobody told me about that." I shifted my weight uncomfortably.

"The one at the mayors house, I already told you that. Listen, a deals a deal." His voice was now dripping with sarcasm, he reached into the freezer and pulled out a blood bag, stepping closer and waving it in front of me, the scent was intoxicating to my still hungry senses.

I watched the bag, I needed that blood, "I don't even have anything to wear!"

He smirked, "Elena will take you shopping. That's what girls like to do, isn't it? My treat."

"Fine! Give that to me." I snatched the bag from his hands, tearing it open and devouring it hungrily.

He chuckled and I pulled my face away as I was finished, I felt the blood dripping from the corners of my mouth, "Something funny?"

He wiped the blood away with the sleeves of his jacket, "Nope, not at all. By the way, the ball is Saturday."

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><p>The next day was Thursday, and the night before my dad was working late. He worked on campus at the community college. Thursday morning came after a long, sleepless night.<p>

I wasn't eager to go to school, I didn't know how I'd react to Stefan now that I knew, or Elena now that I didn't know if she knew. If people here knew about the existence of vampires, what does that mean? What did it do for me?

I got ready, though, throwing my hair up into a bun and putting on dark red high waisted jeans and a black tank top, adding a gray and black plain flannel that was much too big for me. My tattoo choker was something I added to most outfits.

I put on black eyeshadow and dark red lipstick, deciding I looked decent, I ascended into the abyss (highschool).

My dad said I could use his car whenever I want, since he has his truck, I didn't complain.

I stopped at the gas station, only to find Damon waiting by my car when I walked back out, "Oh, why have you graced me with your presence this time?"

"Elena is taking you shopping after school." He stated simply.

"You couldn't have just called me to tell me that? Or told Stefan to tell me?"

"Don't have your number, oh! And I wanted coffee." He snatched the cup of coffee from my hand and drank out of it.

"What the hell?! Just keep it." I scoffed.

"That's the plan." He walked away with a chuckle.

I shot daggers at his back with my eyes before getting back into the car.

He hadn't been lying, Elena came up to me right after the final bell with bright but wary eyes, like she was excited but also didn't know how to act around me.

The school day had flown by, boring and uneventful.

"Are you ready? I can drive." Elena offered.

I nodded, "You know... You don't have to do this."

She smiled, "Damon is my friend. I care about him and I'm glad to see him putting himself out there again. Plus, you're not too bad either."

That last part was playful. "Did he, like, just go through a breakup or something?"

She furrowed her brows, "Something like that."

I nodded, understanding that it was the end of that conversation.

We arrived at a costume shop, specializing in authenticity.

"Why are we at a costume shop?" I asked her, I was to buy a dress, not a costume.

"We're all dressing in Victorian clothing, it adds to the effect." She grinned, pulling me into the shop.

The front was all basic party supplies and Halloween costumes. Small toys and decorations, the back was where the authentic costumes were.

A stout, pink faced lady emerged from a door with a tape measure hanging from her shoulders, she was flustered.

When she noticed us, she let out a gasp and an apology, "I'm so sorry, I'm just so busy this time of year, with Halloween coming and all.. How can I help you two?"

"It's fine! We understand, we're actually looking for a Victorian gown." Elena put on her 100 watt smile.

"Oh! Is it for you? I have the most gorgeous white gown that would compliment your skin tone just perfectly." The lady set down her tape measure on the counter.

"It's actually for her." Elena gestured to me.

The lady's eyes lit up, "Oh, you're a beauty. I have something for you here." She scuttled into a back room, telling me to follow and Elena to wait.

She had a dress hung up on a plain wall, it was stunning. It was a high collared scarlet and black dress with a corset style bodice. There was a middle panel of black ruffles in the front of the skirt and the rest was red. It was a gorgeous satin and I was eager to try it on.

It fit me perfectly, which was very surprising since I was rather small. My pale skin seemed to glow against the dark colors, the sleeves ending just over my palms. The lady pulled the top section of my hair back to resemble an up do. I'd never seen myself look so radiant.

"Wow." The lady breathed, "Lets go show your friend!"

She led me back out of the room where Elena was idly looking through skirts. She turned around and grinned, "You look amazing, Sybil! That's perfect! How much?" She asked the lady.

"You're looking at about $300, I can throw in a mask for free." She turned around and went to a glass case full of masks, pulling out a dark red metal one.

"Perfect." I smiled, $300 of Damon's money, satisfying.

Elena announced she was going to go to the bathroom while I checked out.

I had the dress hung over my arm when I approached the lady, bright eyed.

"That will be $300, miss." The round cheeked smile returned.

I offered my own smile, "Thank you so much." I handed her Damon's card, waited for her to give it back, and walked out the door, waiting for Elena by the car.

She walked out 30 seconds later, "Damon is going to light up when he sees you!" Her smile was genuine, "You can come over before the Masquerade and get ready with me and Bonnie and Caroline if you want."

I thought for a moment and decided there were no good reasons to say no, I liked Elena, "Sure."

"Ok just come over at about 5 on Saturday, I'll text you my address."

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><p><strong>Within the next few chapters, I'm going to start linking the outfits Sybil wears for anybody who wants to see them. Let me know if you think thats a good idea. <strong>


	3. The Reunion

**A/N: This chapter is short, I know. I have this story separated into parts of about 1.5k to 3k words. I have about 25k words written and it's over 40 pages on my iPad, so I'm set for a while :) let me know what you think, I love to hear ideas as well! **

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><p>My father had announced were going to eat at the Mystic Grille tonight, I told him I had to run an errand and then I would be ready.<p>

My errand happened to be visiting Damon to indulge in a snack, and potentially access information.

The boarding house was five minutes away if I was running full speed, by the time I'd arrived, I hadn't even broken a sweat.

I gathered myself and tried to salvage my hair, I lifted my arm to knock at the door, but it swung open to the sardonic expression of Damon before I could make contact.

"Why, hello there, my dearest friend Sybil. I presume you're here for the blood."

"Way to be subtle, but yes, that is why I'm here." I spoke, my voice conveyed no emotion.

He mocked surprise, "Subtle!? Why do I have to be subtle? There's nobody around."

I sighed, I tried to appreciate him and all that he's done for me, it would be so much easier if he wasn't so cynical.

"Ok, ok, come in." He started heading towards the basement again, a girl emerged sleepily from a door, "Damon.."

I stared at her and Damon sighed, "That's my friend, uh... What's your name again?" He asked the girl.

She furrowed her brows, "Avalon."

"Ah! Right, Avalon. Interesting name. Go back into bed now, Avalon."

It was then I noticed she was wearing nothing but a gray button down much too big for her.

I looked at Damon suspiciously.

"What? I get hungry for something other than cold blood sometimes."

My eyes widened, "What!? You bit her!?"

He shook his head, as if disappointed, "Yes. She won't remember though. All she'll remember is an amazing night in bed with an even more amazing man." He winked.

I rolled my eyes, "How do you manage that?"

He didn't answer me, just continued down the stairs and to the room with the blood, he gestured for me to sit down on one of the empty chairs, he sat down too after retrieving two bags of blood and heating them up.

"I seduce them, have sex with them, take a little nibble off their neck, get my fill, use my blood to heal them, and compel them to forget and send them on their merry way." He said.

I almost coughed up the blood I was drinking, "What?"

"You asked how I manage to drink the blood from girls." He shrugged.

"Oh." I'd never thought of that before, how easy it would be to seduce a clueless little teenage tourist and get him to be a donor, he would forget all about it.

"That's brilliant." I muttered, surprised when it came from my lips, it was supposed to stay in my head.

"I know." Damon responded.

"Hey, uh, I was hoping you could tell me a few things." I said cautiously.

"Ok, Detective Knight, shoot." He took another drink from his blood.

"How old are you?" I asked.

"Woah, woah, woah. I'm not so keen on giving away personal information, that was never part of the deal." He got suddenly defensive.

I sighed, I expected that type of response, "I'm sorry."

He stared at me, direct eye contact, it made me nervous, I tried to conceal that feeling.

"Fine, here, how about this? Every time I answer one of your questions, you answer one of mine." He suggested.

I pondered for a moment, I, too, wasn't keen on sharing personal information, but I was desperate for knowing more about Mystic Falls, and about Damon. I nodded.

"Ok, Sybil, how old are you?" He asked.

"17." I answered simply.

He rose an eyebrow, "Only 17? Were you born a vampire?"

"It's my turn now, how old are you?"

"I am 175 years old."

I stared at him, "Oh!"

He chuckled, "My turn.. Were you born a vampire?"

I regained composure, "As far as I know, yes. Ever since I was very young I had this hunger that could not be fed with food, I was 12 when I made my first attack, the blood was the only thing that worked." I stopped quickly, I had given out more information than I'd intended.

"Hm, interesting. It's your turn."

"Right... Uh, who else knows about vampires here?"

"Uh.. I do, obviously, Stefan, Elena, Bonnie, Caroline is one. Jeremy. The town council does, so be careful, they put vervain in the water supply. So don't try biting an oblivious little high schooler."

"Vervain?" I rose an eyebrow.

He stared at me, eyes slightly widened, "Vervain? Herb? Fine for humans but lethal for vampires?"

I shook my head, "I lived in Minnesota my whole life, nothing happens in Minnesota. Nobody knows about vampires. I never had to be educated on vampire history and I never knew what vervain was."

"Yeah, yeah. Well vervain is a herb that, like I said, is lethal to vampires. It burns. Stay away from it... Also, people who have vervain anywhere on them cannot be compelled, so be careful." He explained, "That was two questions."

I nodded, "Thank you.. And one more question... What time is it?"

"It's uh, 5:45." He answered reluctantly.

"oh! I gotta go, we can talk at the party on Saturday. Thank you!" I called as I sprung up and ran out of the house, I needed to be home to go to dinner with my father.

"I've been invited to some type of party by Elena and her friends." I announced, my pathetic attempt at dinner conversation.

"Have you? That's wonderful!" He smiled through bites of his fries.

"Yeah, Elena took me shopping after school. I guess we're all dressing in Victorian style clothing for the event."

"Fun! I've been meaning to talk to you, about the uh.." He lowered his voice, "Blood situation." His attempt at dinner conversation was worse than mine.

I nodded, urging him to continue.

"I have a friend who can smuggle you a steady supply of donor blood from the hospital, just like back in Minnesota." His voice was still low, ensuring nobody would hear.

"Oh. It's ok, Damon Salvatore has been helping me with that." I said, asking myself silently why I told him that, I was usually very private.

"Damon Salvatore?" He rose an eyebrow, wary.

I nodded, staring at him, waiting for a tell of his emotions.

"Interesting. Be careful, he's a suspicious character."

He was blunt, I'd give him that. He didn't even try to be subtle. And I could understand why Damon would seem suspicious, he was a vampire after all. Of course, my father knew that.

After we'd finished eating, a boy I vaguely recalled seeing at school, came to pick up our plates, "Oh, hey. Sybil, right? I'm Matt, I know you from school, we're kinda friends with the same people." He laughed awkwardly.

I smiled at him, "Yeah, I remember seeing you. Very nice to meet you, Matt."

"You, too, have a good night now, Sybil, Mr. Knight." He turned around and left.

"Nice kid." My dad commented as we got up to leave, "I've always liked Matt Donovan."

I followed him out to the truck, "Yeah, he seems cool."

Friday was an uneventful day, filled with Elena and Caroline raving about their outfits for the party, and Bonnie coyly playing along. I didn't see Damon, I didn't have to feed that day.

Today was Saturday, the day of the party. I was supposed to be at Elena's in 4 hour, I'd just woken up. It was 1. My father was gone, he'd left a note in the kitchen to let me know he had to attend some sort of teaching seminar so he would be out of town all weekend. He left $100.

I decided to pass some time by heading to the grille with my laptop to do some research on Mystic Falls.

After cleaning myself up, I got dressed in some black high waisted jeans, and a vintage Fleetwood Mac tee shirt, and a leather jacket. I applied dark purple lipstick and eyeliner. Slinging my backpack over my shoulder and slipping on my Docs, I drove to the grille.

Upon arrival, I'd ordered a green tea and answered Matt's inquiries about whether I would be attending the party or not, and gotten my laptop set up.

I popped in my headphones and started listening to Led Zeppelin.

I began by looking up the obvious, 'Vampires in Mystic Falls', much to my surprise, quite a bit came up. I clicked on an article about a fire in the 1800's when someone caught my eye.

In walked a boy, about my age, very tall. He was wearing black jeans and a black jacket, two rows of buttons going down the front. His hair was long and unkept, falling haphazardly in his face. His skin was pale and smooth, like stone. He had high cheekbones and a sharp jawline, his eyes were a striking green.

I recognized those eyes, an image flashed in my head of those green eyes in distress, in pain. I knew who that was. Zev.

My breath caught in my throat as I stifled a gasp, my eyes were pried open wide. I jumped up, closing my laptop and shoving it in my bag, I avoided eye contact and shoved past him, out the door. He didn't see me.

I sat in my car and let out my breath, setting my bag in the passenger seat. I thought Zev was dead. I killed him. My breathing started getting uneven again, my hands were shaking. Why was he here? Was he looking for me? Why is he alive?

I started the car and pulled out fast, focusing solely on driving and not on the thoughts pounding at my skull.


	4. The Masquerade

When I arrived home, it was 2 hours until I had to go to Elena's house. The whole time I was on my bed, thinking and shaking. The same question playing on repeat in my mind, I couldn't calm down.

I got up and turned on the song Stairway to Heaven on full blast, this classic had always calmed me down. I hoped it would prevail.

* * *

><p>I woke up to Stairway to Heaven again, just like I'd left it. Apparently it did calm me down, I ended up falling asleep. The sun was lower in the sky and I panicked, what time was it?<p>

4:56. I had to be at Elena's in less than five minutes.

I jumped up, turned off my music, grabbed my bag and dress and hurried to the car. It would be much faster if I'd just ran, but I couldn't. I needed to be secretive... They all knew about vampires. They didn't know I was one.

I knocked on the door of the Gilbert house, straight out of a catalog. Elena answered, all smiles.

"I'm so sorry I'm late, I got caught up in something and didn't realize the time." I gushed.

"Relax, it's totally fine, come on in." She said, I was thankful for that. I could walk in. I didn't have to make her suspicious by willing her to invite me in, she knew about vampires and that would make it extremely obvious.

I smiled at her and followed her in, Caroline and Bonnie were sitting in the couch laughing about some joke I hadn't heard. They saw me and gradually stopped laughing, getting up to say hi.

"Hey, I never formally introduced myself, so my name is Bonnie." She held out her hand.

I took it, "Sybil." Suddenly her eyes widened and she gasped.

I stared at her in panic.

"Bonnie? Is everything ok?" Elena asked with concern,

"Yeah.. Yeah totally, I just remembered something. No biggie." Her face returned to normal, "Let's go get ready."

"Yes, let's." Caroline grinned, and ran upstairs.

Elena still had a wary look in her eyes, but followed Caroline anyways. We all went to Elena's room.

After getting dressed, I noticed how pretty all the dresses were. Elena's was light green, a tight bodice and sweetheart neckline, long sleeves exposing her shoulders. Caroline's was pink and white, much like Elena's. Bonnie's was royal purple, a corset bodice like my own. They all complimented me, saying the dress was gorgeous and that it suited me well. Like I had been born in the wrong era.

There was a light knock on the door frame as a boy with light brown hair and brown eyes glared, "You guys are being loud."

Elena groaned, "Not nearly as loud as the music you play at the most inconvenient times. Get out of here."

He sighed, defeated, and walked away.

"Sorry about that, that's my little brother, Jeremy." Elena said.

He was one of the people Damon listed.

"Hey, uh, Elena, can I talk to you for a second?" Bonnie asked softly.

"Yeah, of course." Elena left the room with Bonnie.

Unable to stop myself, I listened in on their conversation.

"Sybil has a spell on her."

"What?"

"I sensed it when I touched her, the presence of witchcraft, there's a spell on her."

"Oh, my god.. Do you think she knows?"

Pause, "I don't know."

"I'll talk to Stefan at the party. Don't say anything, ok?"

Footsteps on the stairs, Caroline didn't say anything, just continued doing her makeup.

I turned to a mirror and started applying a thick layer of black eyeshadow and fake eyelashes.

I put on dark red lipstick to match my dress and started curling my long hair.

Elena and Bonnie didn't say much, just hollow conversation while applying their own makeup.

When I finished curling my hair, I tied it into an intricate up do, allowing a few curls to fall loosely around my face, I put on my mask, I didn't look like myself. I looked beautiful.

The time came for us to leave, we were to meet our dates at the venue, riding in a rented limo.

"So you're going with Damon.." Caroline spoke, awkwardly breaking the silence.

I shrugged, "Yeah, he just didn't want to go alone. Not like it means anything, I barely know him."

"I didn't know you talked to him at all." She said bluntly, I could tell she wasn't fond of me.

"Yeah, they're friends, I guess. Damon helps her out with the history of Mystic Falls and getting used to things." Elena spoke for me, trying to end the hostility. So that's what he told her. I had to hide the smile curling at my lips, it was a comforting thought that he had managed to keep my secret. Even if he was arrogant, cynical, and sarcastic, he at least managed to keep an important secret to himself.

"Well, be careful. He's not boyfriend material." Caroline huffed, turning her attention to the window.

I laughed out loud, "He's not my boyfriend. No way in hell."

"Which, incidentally, is where he came from." Caroline muttered, I knew I wasn't supposed to hear that.

The rest of the ride was filled to the brim of painful silence. Elena wanted desperately to keep the peace, which was easiest when nobody was talking. I didn't understand why Caroline didn't like me, I hadn't done anything to her. I'd barely spoken a word to her. Maybe it had to do with Damon. Maybe she was jealous. That was stupid because she had absolutely no reason to be jealous. I cared about a lot more than physical attractiveness, and Damon's personality put me off. I felt like I had to compete with him, to remind him I wasn't some toy, and that I wouldn't allow him to treat me like one. That was unattractive.

Through the tinted windows I could see the lights hanging from the trees, illuminating a walkway. It was pretty, like personal stars. The limo driver opened the door for each of us. Getting situated I glanced warily at Caroline, whose face was still in a grimace. I sighed.

Stefan, Jeremy, and Damon were all standing together at the entrance, you would see the way Elena's face lit up, and how Caroline's grimace deepened. Who was taking her?

A smile spread across Bonnie's features as Jeremy took her arm, they disappeared.

"Wow." Stefan breathed, Elena's grin was almost inhuman, she was so happy.

They disappeared like Bonnie and Jeremy. I was left with Damon.

"You look different," Damon was uncomfortable. I wouldn't blame him, I was uncomfortable, too. This was weird, Bonnie, Jeremy, Caroline, Elena, and Stefan knew each other. They liked each other. I didn't even know if I liked Damon. He was helpful, in his own sardonic way. And we barely knew each other. I knew how old he was, and he knew how old I was. But that's it. We barely knew anything about each other and we were supposed to attend this event as if we were some sort of happy couple. Vampires are not awkward, they are graceful, they have control. Their movements are planned and poised, and yet I'm sure we both looked incredibly awkward, standing there looking at each other like there was a stain on our shirts.

"Yeah, I know." I finally said, responding to his statement. He didn't even compliment me, no 'That's a nice dress' or 'I like your hair like that.' Just 'You look different.'

He moved to take my arm, the awkwardness suddenly rushing right out of him, he was graceful again, "Milady."

I took his arm, trying to return back to my usual self, as we walked into the elaborate mansion decorated to resemble a Masquerade.

There were a lot of people, unrecognizable people. All in masks. It was kind of beautiful, how you didn't even know who most of these people were, not that I'd be able to recognize them even if they were wearing name tags. But this amplified the effect. Another quick sensation of déjà vu overtook me as I gasped. This had been happening a lot since I arrived in Mystic Falls.

Damon pulled a plain black mask over the upper half of his face, his eyes being his only tell. This intensified the déjà vu. My eyes locked with his, I tried desperately to grasp the memory creeping from the deepest depths of my brain. It was slipping away as quickly as it came, and soon, it was gone. I looked away quickly, when I realized Damon was saying my name.

"Sybil? Syyyybil?"

"What!?" I snapped, looking back at him, the familiarity was gone.

His eyes narrowed in confusion, "Nevermind."

"I'm gonna go get something to drink." I muttered, pushing my way through the crowd before he could object.

The punch table was on the opposite wall, and nobody was near it, perfect. When I got there, I took deep breaths. I felt a presence behind me, a brooding shadow much bigger than my own. I turned around. A tall man in an old fashioned suit, completed with a top hat and tailcoat was standing before me. Most prominently, however, were the bright green eyes behind the mask. I almost choked on my own breath, he was here. How did he find me again? I had to get away, Zev wouldn't catch me.

"May I have this dance?" He asked, offering a gloved hand. His voice was deep, it was disturbing.

I didn't manage a sound when I pushed brusquely past him, making my way back through the crowd and back to Damon. I saw him, standing in the same place I left him, looking bored.

I got close to him again, "Damon.. Damon, I have to go! I have to go now! I'm sorry." I cried anxiously, eyeing a closed door and making a beeline for it.

"Wait! What the hell is going on?!" I heard Damon call behind me, he was following me.

I made my way to the door quickly, pulling it open, thankfully, it wasn't locked. I stumbled into an empty room. It looked like a living room, with an old fashioned sofa and a fireplace. Damon came in, too, closing the door.

"Ok, Cinderella, care to explain what just happened?" The sarcasm returned to his voice, and at that very moment I wanted to strangle him. I was clearly not in the mood for it.

"Nothing! It's none of your concern, you shouldn't have followed me." I hissed at him, throwing off my mask.

"Calm down. Tell me what's going on." He was getting irritated now, too.

"I just told you, nothing!" I shouted, my skin was heating up. I didn't know how to handle my situation. I didn't know why Zev was here, he was obviously looking for me. Zev was supposed to be dead. I'd believed he was all my life.

"The only thing you're doing is making both of us angry! Just tell me what's going on. It's obviously not 'nothing'." Damon said through clenched teeth.

"What possessed you to believe you have any right in knowing? I have no obligation to tell you, and I don't plan on it." I glared, I sat down on the couch, breathing in deeply. I needed to calm down, because Damon was right, I was working myself up.

"You're right, you don't have to tell me. But I want to know."

I looked up at him, my eyes were glistening with the tears that I was fighting to conceal, my anxiety was like a ghost, harboring inside of me clawing at my skin. The person who meant the most to me in the entire world, I'd killed. 7 years ago. And I lived with the guilt, but now he was here when he wasn't supposed to be. He wanted to kill me. That had to be the only reason he was looking for me. He wanted to kill me for killing him.

"Why do you even care?"

He shrugged, "Ah, come on, we're blood buddies! And something important is obviously happening."

I smiled weakly, as irritation creeped back up on me, "Blood buddies? Really?"

He smirked, "Catchy, I know."

I sighed, "You barely know me. Why should I tell you?"

"I want to know." He said again, sitting down next to me, but keeping space between us.

I stared at him, the smug vampire who 'wants to know'. I had never told anybody what I did to Zev, it was my biggest regret. My biggest shame. There was no normal part of me that was eager to tell my new 'blood buddy' my biggest secret. Ok, not my biggest secret. He already knew my biggest secret.

He already knew my biggest secret.

So why not tell him more?

"I saw somebody," I started, the words fell out without warning, I hadn't even completely decided if I wanted to tell him. My common sense was gone the moment I even thought about it. I felt like I could trust Damon. That was stupid. Completely insane. He was rude, sarcastic, reckless, arrogant. There was no part of him that was trustworthy, and yet I found myself spilling details of my life with him so easily.

"Vague," he said.

"Someone who's supposed to be dead."

"Happens a lot around here," the sarcastic remarks again.

I should have stopped there, stormed out and learned to deal with Zev on my own, but I didn't, because despite his sarcasm, the words kept coming.

"I killed him, I killed him 7 years ago... Remember how I told you the first time I fed, I was 10. Well, yeah.. I was. I fed on my best friend. I was just so hungry, I'd been living with it for years, it was overwhelming. It took over my every thought. I heard his blood coursing through his veins, I heard his heartbeat, steady, pounding. The idea was absurd. Awful. Terrifying." A hot tear slid down my cheek. "I was only ten years old and he was right there! Right in front of me when the hunger became ravenous, we were just walking home. Walking home from the movies after watching some stupid comedy. He was laughing, retelling one of the jokes. I couldn't stop myself, one second I was listening to his voice, the next, I was biting into his throat. He meant the world to me. He was the only person who made International Falls bearable. When I was done, and the hunger was put to rest, I panicked. I fed him some of my blood, I knew I was too late. He was dead. He was my best friend, and I killed him."

The tear had turned into two, three, and eventually I was sobbing. It was a memory I'd repressed for so long, and I just told it to some guy I barely knew. I was so incredibly stupid.

"Hey now, stop crying," His voice was calm, awkward, like he didn't really know what to do, he roughly put his arm on my shoulder and pulled me into him, I was crying into his side. He was so much bigger than me.

"It wasn't your fault, you didn't know... Wait. Did you say you fed him some of your blood before he died?"

I looked up at him, wiping my tears away, they were coming slower now, I nodded, "Yeah. Why?"

"He died with vampire blood in his system. Sybil, he's a vampire."

I stared at him, the tears had stopped all together, "What?"

"That's how you turn a vampire, they have to die with vampire blood in their system."

I sat up, eccentric, "So I didn't kill him!?"

"Well, uh, technically, you did. But he's not dead." Damon said, he was back to himself.

I grinned, "Zev! I didn't kill him! He's here! He's alive!"

"Calm down now, princess. You told me a story from your life, now I have to tell you a story about mine."

I smiled at him, then frowned, "Wait. Don't you think it's weird that I just did that? I mean, we barely know each other and I just spilled my darkest secret."

"Could be weirder. Anyway, story time," He began, this was out of character, he seemed to actually care about me. "One time, in 1892, I attended a ball just like this one. It was for a prestigious family. The Knight family."

"My family?" I said, surprised.

He nodded, "There was a girl there. She was something. I couldn't keep my eyes off her. She was wearing a red dress, like yours, and her hair was long and black, in fact, she looked a lot like you. I only got to dance with her once. I never found her after that."

"That's so weird." I said, genuinely interested.

"Yeah, I guess. Now, come on, we have a masquerade to enjoy." He stood up and offered his hand, I smiled and took it, following him back to the party. Completely forgetting about Zev.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Please let me know if you like the length of these chapters, I feel like they're kind of short. I've been trying to keep them between 1.5k and 3k words. **


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